with a clamorous importunity, to compet Pilate to put him to death. The like mifapprehenfions produce the like effects among profeffed Chriftians at this day. We likewise have the fcriptures, but how many who admit their authority in words, live willingly ignorant of their contents, and act in direct contradiction to their tenor! The power of the Saviour is likewife difplayed among us: his preached gofpel is daily made effectual to the great purposes for which it is vouchfafed, yet multitudes reject it with no lefs pertinacity, than the Jews rejected him in person. At length death furprizes them, and they fink into darkness beyond recall. To them, the Lord may be faid to come fuddenly, for they think not of him till they actually find themfelves at his tribunal. And this, not only when they are cut off by a sudden stroke, but often when their diffolution is most gradual, and every one about them can perceive its approach by their countenances; they themfelves, though wasting with disease, and worn out with pain, ftill flatter themselves with hopes of amendment and recovery to their last gafp; and a lingering death is, to them, no less fud fudden than if they were killed by a flash of lightning. II. It is afked, Who may abide the day of his coming? The effect is compared to a refiner's fire, and to fuller's fope. The refiner's fire penetrates the metal, and thereby fearches, discovers, and confumes the drofs. The fuller's fope alfo, though it does not destroy the texture of the cloth, cleanfes it by removing, and as it were confuming the spots and defilement which are found in it. The idea conveyed by these illuftrations is the fame. The day of his coming is a day of trial, a trial which iffues in the purification of the work of God in his church, and in the detection and destruction of every thing in it which is contrary to his will. The coming of MESSIAH may be taken in feveral fenfes. To the Jews, according to the promise of God repeated from age to age, he came in perfon. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among them*. The term in the original alludes to the visible symbol of the divine prefence, which refided in the tabernacle and temple. Thus for a feafon he refided among them, in a temple not made with hands, but formed, by the immediate agency of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of a virgin. This was a happy time to those who received and acknowledged him. But the bulk of the nation could not abide the trial which his appearance exposed them to, they were proved by it to be but reprobate and counterfeit filver. The thoughts of many hearts were revealed *. Many fpecious characters were detected. The pretended fanctity and outward ftrictness of the Scribes and Pharifees, was evidenced to be meer hypocrify. He expofed them in their true colours, and upon many occasions put them to fhame and to filence. And where his word did not cleanfe like fope, it burnt like fire, and the perfons and places that rejected him, were rendered inexcufable. Their great privilege of seeing his wonderful works, and hearing his gracious words, being abused, aggravated their guilt and condemnation, and made their doom heavier than that of Sodom and Gomorrah. To them the day of the Lord, which in their own fenfe they profeffed to defire, was darkness and not light †. If he had not come and spoken to them himself, + Amos v. 18. * Luke ii. 35. they they had not had fin*. That is, comparatively; he found them great finners, and they would have been fuch if he had not visited them. But after he had fpoken to them, and fpoken in vain, they had no cloke for their fin. From that time they were deprived of every fhadow of plea, excufe, or extenuation. And all their former wickedness was light, compared with the enormous crime they were guilty of in rejecting and crucifying the Son of God. By refusing him, they rendered their cafe helpless and hopeless, because there is no other name but his, given among men, whereby they may be faved. But he cleanfed thofe who received him, he removed their guilt, their fears, their ignorance. He gave them a clean heart and a new spirit. Yet to these alfo he was as a refiner's fire, and as fuller's fope. They likewife had prejudices and felfifh tempers, which were not at once removed. He called them to a state of fuffering and self-denial, to forfake all, and to take up their crofs daily for his fake. In another fenfe, his coming is not reftrained to a particular time. Wherever his gofpel is preached, the Lord is come. It is by the gofpel he rides forth profperously, conquering and to conquer *. Thus he has promifed to be prefent with his ministers, and wherever two or three are met in his name, to the end of the world. Thus he is come to us. And the effects are the fame, as when he was perfonally upon earth. His gospel ftill discovers the thoughts of many hearts. Many perfons who till then were reputed religious, by the contempt they cast upon this wonderful expedient of infinite wisdom and love to fave finners, manifeft their ignorance and hatred of the law and holiness of God, and that the religion they pretend to is an empty lifeless form, destitute of love and power. To them, though in itself a favor of life, it proves a favor of death. It provokes their enmity, increases their obduracy, and leaves them without excufe. But it is life indeed to thofe who receive it. raised by it from a death of fin, unto a life of righteoufness and peace. Their tempers, defires, pursuits, and hopes are changed and elevated. Old things pafs away, and all things become new to them, according as it * Pfal. xlv. 4. They are is |